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WEDNESDAY'APRIL 17,2019
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Former Powellsville mayor enters plea
Judge reluctantly accepts deal for Asbell
SARAH HODGES STALLS
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - Thomas C. Asbell,
former mayor of Powells
ville, appeared in Monday’s
session of Bertie County Su
perior Court.
Water
grant
helps
Aulander gets
assistance with
aging system
SARAH HODGES STALLS
Bertie Ledger-Advance
AULANDER - The town
of Aulander has been
awarded $200,000 in the
form of a Community De
velopment Block Grant
for Infrastructure.
Monies are dedicat
ed for the 2018 CDBG
Wastewater System
Improvements Project,
which lists a total cost
of $2,012,500.
Funding comes from
the North Carolina De
partment of Environ
mental Quality Division
of Water Infrastructure.
Steven Draper, Public
Works Director for the
town of Aulander, said,
“We are very pleased to
have received funding
for this project.”
Draper continued,
“While the system was
put in originally in 1925,
it has had upgrades
over the years. But as
the system continues to
See AULANDER, 10
Pitt County Judge Marvin
Blount grudgingly accepted
a plea, via a bill of informa
tion, from Asbell on one fel
ony count of embezzlement.
The charge as presented is a
Class H felony.
The plea deal is the end re
sult of more than two years
of controversy and investi
gation into accusations of
financial mismanagement
by Asbell, who was mayor of
Powellsville until 2017.
“With some reluctance, 1
am going to let him plead to
the charge,” Blount told the
courtroom.
This was after an array of
leaders from the Powells
ville community addressed
the court.
Current Powellsville May
or James L. Peele was among
the representatives.
“The citizens of Powells
ville are the victims of all
SARAH HODGES STALLS / Bertie Ledger-Advance
911 Communications Supervisor J.W. Stalls (left) assists dispatcher Courtney Walton as-a-eaH comes into the Bertie
County Communications Center.
UNSUNG HEROES
This is National Telecomunicators Week
SARAH HDDGES STALLS
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSDR - Often emergency
responders in the field - fire,
rescue, law enforcement - are
seen as the answer to the
crisis. Many never realize or
some may forget the people
who get them to the scene.
For 12 hours at a time, the
dispatchers of Bertie County
Communications respond to
emergency calls from across
the county.
This includes three EMS sta
tions, 12 volunteer fire depart
ments, the sheriff’s office and
three police departments.
Add to that list animal con
trol, along with night and
weekend calls for agencies
such as animal control, social
services and many more.
Courtney Walton, who has
been on the job for five years,
hopes the public understands
just how much the dispatch
ers care about their callers.
“Their hurt can be our
hurt,” Walton explained. “But
See HERDES, 3
this,” he told the judge. “Our
every effort now is to revive
the town. We have learned a
lot from this, and hope we
can grow from this.”
Powellsville Commissioner
Carlyle Hoggard spoke about
the ramifications of what
they saw as Asbell’s actions
See ASBELL, 3
Meet
time
slated
Town officials
set upcoming
night session
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSDR-The Windsor
Board of Commission
ers will hold a special
session to hear from its
citizens.
Meeting in regular
session last week, the
board agreed to hold a
special gathering April
25.
Citizens appeared be
fore the board to dis
cuss horses and other
animals being allowed
within town limits.
Representatives of the
group said more people
would like to come, but
were unable to miss
work to be at the 8:30
a.m, meeting.
Windsor Mayor Jim
Hoggard said the board
had previously met with
citizens in the evening,
and he felt board mem
bers were open to doing
so in this case.
Upon further discus-
See WINDSDR, 3
Medical supply scam prevalent in North Carolina
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
Those who may have re
ceived medical supplies they
didn’t-order should beware.
N.C. Attorney General
Josh Stein said his office has
received complaints from
In this edition
people being sent medical
supplies - particularly back
and knee braces - they never
ordered.
Shortly after the items ap
peared, the recipients start
being harassed by robocalls
demanding payment for
them, according to those be
ing harassed.
The scam is not a new one
and has been perpetrated
throughout the country,
Stein said. In fact, the fed
eral government recently
charged 24 individuals for
scamming people out of
more than $24 million.
Stein said the scam usually
follows the same procedure,
i.e. telemarketers call and
tell individuals their health
insurance (usually Medicaid
or Medicare) qualifies them
to receive a free medical de
vice.
While most consumers de
cline the offer, the devices
are sent to the home ad
dresses an3way. After they
are received, scammers will
attempt to bill health insur
ance or call the consumer
seeking payment.
See SCAM, 10
t
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RELAY
FOR LIFE
Church & Faith 5
Classified 6
Obituaries 2
Opinion 4
Sports 8
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Good Morning,
Ann Blake
OF Windsor
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